Monday, April 24, 2017

THE MYERS BALLOT MACHINE

Myers' mechanical lever voting machine.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday,
February 19, 1894.

THE
MYERS BALLOT MACHINE.

Out of
Order at Cazenovia and Takes Two Days to do the Voting.

The following from the Cazenovia Republican of Thursday tells how the Myers Ballot machine [link opens in pdf] worked in that town last Tuesday. Do the voters of Cortland
village want to enjoy the same experience?

The feature of the election in the town of
Cazenovia was the failure of the Myers ballot machine to do the work expected
of it. The machine arrived on Friday, and was set up on the stage of the Casa
Nova and supposedly made ready for business Monday. Tuesday morning after the
polls had been declared open, it was found that the counter on the outside
which registers the total number of votes cast, was not in running order, and
after half an hour's work in trying to make it register correctly, it was
disconnected and voting proceeded without it. As the day wore on it became
evident that it would be impossible for all the votes to be cast in one day. A
long line of voters reached across the stage, and down through the entrance to
the floor of the auditorium. It was necessary to pass through the entire line
one notch at a time, in order to get an opportunity to vote, and at almost no
time through the day could this be done under an hour. By the time the voter
reached the machine he was thoroughly tired, and thoroughly out of sorts, and
in three cases out of four the first move he made on getting inside was to give
a savage push on the knob that registered against the purchase of the machine.

About the middle of the afternoon it was
announced that the election would be continued another day, and the residents of
the village were requested to refrain from voting for that day, so that the
farmers from out of town could have an opportunity to vote without making a
second trip. Voting was resumed Wednesday and continued until 4 o'clock, when
the machine was opened and the vote announced.

The machines now set up in Cortland will not
allow a button for each name on the different tickets, and two inspectors of
election have to be voted for at once on the same button. If a voter wants to
vote against one of them he can't do it.

The Milford Tidings contains a column article arguing against the purchase of
the Myers voting machine, which costs $480, and can be used only at town
meeting. Among other things it says: "There are other voting machines
about to be placed on the market which are claimed to be great improvements on
the Myers, and will be sold at a much lower price. The writer has thoroughly
examined one such invention which is certainly far superior in many respects to
the Myers machine."

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Town
Meeting.

Every Republican without exception, and
every Democrat who is on the political anxious-seat
or under conviction or error of his former ways, owes it to himself and the
country to turn out at town meeting and do some straight Republican voting. No
opportunity should be allowed to pass at local elections of repeating and
emphasizing the declaration made by the people at last fall's general elections
that they have had enough of the Democratic party, of its free trade and
financial heresies, and of the depression, suffering and business disaster
which it has brought on the country. An intelligent mechanic of this village, a
life-long Democrat, expressed the feeling of a large class of voters a few days
since when he said: "I have always voted the Democratic ticket and believed
that the leaders of the Democratic party knew enough to run the business of the
government. But they don't. They don't know any thing [sic]—and I've voted the
Democratic ticket for the last time." Hosts of former Democrats have come
to the same conclusion, and they cannot give earlier or better expression to
their change of heart than by voting a Republican town ticket. Let every town
in the county join in the roar which will go up all over the state, wherever
town or city elections are held, and which will herald the coming in November next
of the greatest political tidal wave which has ever swept over this or any other
country.

◘
Is there not power enough in this Union to
rid the country of the bands of bank and train robbers that seem to be having
things their own way in the west just at present? What are people about when, in
broad day light, at noon, one or two desperadoes can walk into a bank and rob
it? Where was the whole town of Pawnee, O. T., when it permitted three members
of the Dalton gang to do this? What do
cashiers mean that they do not have pistols ready for use, and why do they not
adopt target practice as a form of athletic exercise?

◘
No wonder the story of the extraordinary rejoicing
over the birth of ason
to Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria was followed almost immediately by the news that
his young mother was lying at the point of death. Round after round of cannon was
fired in the palace yard. All the inhabitants of Sofia came with brass bands
and tin horns and tooted under the windows night and day. The child of three
days' old had to be taken every day to the windows and held up to the gaze of a
crowd. The diabolical racket and excitement would have killed a giant who was
ill, much less a poor, weak young little woman. The life of the mother of the
royal child seemed a matter of no consequence.

◘Susan B. Anthony says in reference to the
economic arrangement of modern society: "The fact that it is a condition in
which 90 per cent of the population depend for their bread on whether the other
10 per cent make money shows that it is wrong. But I don't believe the men can
better it any—not without the women."

Who Is
the Physician?

The Christian science and mind cure practitioners
have created an excitement in medical ranks not exceeded since the regular
profession attempted to sit down upon the water curists and homeopaths. The
water cure fad adapted itself, so far as it was good to all schools of
practice, while homeopathy fought till it secured an equal foothold legally
with the regular school. Now all the schools seem to be combined against the
last interloper—the Christian science or mind cure healer.

The established schools of medicine wish in
some of the states to take away by law from the mind cure people and the C.
S's., the right to practice. These fight back, and a periodical called "Living
Issues" has been established to combat the attempts of the doctors to
break down the scientists.

What the outcome will be it is hard to say.
One writer puts forth a brilliant way of settling the controversy. It is to let
that doctor practice who cures the most patients. It is exceedingly hard to draw
the line where the people should be protected from quacks. Perhaps they will be
protected most effectually by letting them go ahead and get their own eyes open
so that they can protect themselves.

John Y. McKane.

SIX
YEARS AT SING SING.

The
Gravesend Boss is Overcome By the Sentence.

BROOKLYN, N. Y., Feb. 19—John Y. McKane, the
Gravesend political Boss, was
sentenced this morning by Justice Williard Bartlett in the court of oyer and
terminer, to six years' imprisonment in the state prison at Sing Sing. The
sentence was a great surprise to everyone. It was expected that the jury's recommendation
to mercy would induce Justice Bartlett to be more lenient. When the
judge pronounced sentence, McKane turned deathly pale and clutched the railing
before him, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Indian
Outbreak Threatened.

EL RENO, O. T., Feb. 19.—The Kiowas and
Comanche Indians have assumed a warlike attitude and threaten to drive the settlers
and stock from their reservation because they have received no grass lease payment
since October. The wire fences are being cut and cattle butchered by the malcontent
Indians, many of whom are desperate. It is feared the situation will become
alarming unless they receive money due them which amounts to $60,000.

—Dr. Taylor will tell you about "Gumption"
at the Congregational church to-morrow evening at 7:30. P. M.

—The yell committee of the C. A. A.
[Cortland Athletic Assoc.] hold a meeting at the club house at 7:30 o'clock
sharp this evening to decide on the club yell.

—The Clover club give a box party in their
parlors next Friday evening. Cards, refreshments and dancing will be the order
of the evening.

—Rev. Edward S. Frisbee, D. D., has tendered
to the trustees of Wells college at Aurora, N. Y., his resignation as president
of the college.

—Dr. E. M, Santee received notice Saturday
that the marksmen's badges won by the members of the Forty-fifth Separate Co.
last September, will be here soon.

—School Commissioner Nathan L. Miller [an
attorney] has removed from the office of Smith & Dickinson to the Beaudry
building, where he will occupy part of the office of Attorney John H. Kelley.

—The mothers' meeting (north) will be held
at the home of Mrs. W. A. Russell, 94 Maple-ave., Friday, Feb, 23, at 2:30 P. M.
Subject, "A Study of Child-Nature." All ladies are cordially invited.

—When Mr. R. H. Stark of 156 Tompkins st.
went out yesterday to feed his sixteen White Leghorn hens he found them lying
flat on the ground and suffering from the effects of what proved to be a large
dose of Paris green [arsenic,] which some unknown party had given them. Since
that time all have died.

—Mrs. Donald Monroe has brought to The STANDARD
office a couple of cherry twigs that are filled with blossoms. These twigs are
from tree upon the premises of Mr. V. D. Crandall in Cortland. They were cut
off some three weeks ago and since that time have been in water in the house.
It is an unusual sight for this season of the year.

—We are under obligations to Adjutant L. P.
Norton for a copy of the proceedings of the thirty-second anniversary and
reunion of the Tenth New York Cavalry Veteran association held at Syracuse Oct.
17, 18 and 19, 1893. The pamphlet is a very tasty as well as interesting one
and will be welcomed by all the "old boys" of the regiment. It bears
the imprint of the Homer Republican job
rooms, and does credit to them.

—Deputy Sheriff James Edwards was on a still
hunt nearly all day Saturday after John Pierce, who skipped a board bill of $15
at the Central hotel at Homer. The officer was rewarded for his efforts at
about 10 o'clock P. M., when he found and arrested Pierce at a boarding house
on East Court-st. He was taken to Homer this morning and his examination was
adjourned till Thursday. Pierce is wanted in Oneida for a similar offence and
also owed John Andrews a small board bill.

—It is with great pleasure that we announce
that Manager Rood has booked the celebrated Barnabee, Karl and MacDonald Robin
Hood Opera company for the Cortland Opera House on Saturday evening, March 3.
This is one of the finest companies on the road and it is unprecedented for it
to play in so small a place as Cortland. There are sixty people in the troupe.
They carry a [train] carload of scenery. The costumes are fine and the music is
about the most attractive of any comic opera ever written.

No-License
Meeting.

The meeting held by the no-license adherents
at the Opera House yesterday afternoon was one of the most enthusiastic gatherings
that has been held in Cortland for a long time. The Opera House was packed to
the doors. Dr. F. J. Cheney was elected chairman. Prayer was offered by Rev. J.
L. Robertson. Stirring addresses were made by Rev. G. H. Bingham on "Why
should no-license be voted this year;'' by Rev. W. H. Pound on "The
licensing the sale of intoxicants is a sin against God and the commonwealth;"
by Mr. H. M. Kellogg on "Has refusing licenses injured the business
interests of Cortland;" by Rev. C. E. Hamilton on "The success of no-license;"
by Dr.L. H. Pearce on
"The saloon must go sooner or later;" by Rev. H. A. Cordo on
"How can any moral or Christian man vote for license?"

Great enthusiasm was displayed throughout
the entire meeting. Every speaker was loudly applauded both as he took the floor
and at the close of his speech. They were all frequently interrupted by storms
of applause, which showed that public sentiment on this question was wide
awake.